Dual-Mode Network Storage Systems and Methods

1. A dual-mode network storage control apparatus integrated on a chip, comprising: an input network attached storage (NAS) interface for receiving a file-level storage command from a first network client; file-level translation logic connected to the input NAS interface, for generating a first block storage command derived from the file-level storage command; an input storage area network (SAN) interface for receiving a second block storage command from a second network client; and a multiplexing unit having a first input connected to the file-level translation logic, for receiving a first block storage request derived from the first block storage command, a second input connected to the input SAN interface, for receiving a second block storage request derived from the second block storage command, and a multiplexing unit output for selectively transmitting the first block storage request and the second block storage request.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first block storage command is a logical block storage command comprising an identification of a logical unit number and a logical block number within the logical unit number.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , further comprising block translation logic connected to the tile-level translation logic, for translating the logical block storage command into a physical block storage command comprising a raw block number.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first block storage command is a physical block storage command comprising a raw block number.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a management interface connected to the file-level translation logic, for supplying translation configuration data to the file-level translation logic.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the file-level storage command comprises a file storage command.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the file-level storage command comprises a URL storage command.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the input NAS interface is an Ethernet interface.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the input NAS interface is a SONET interface.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the input SAN interface is a Fibre Channel interface.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the input SAN interface is an ESCON interface.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising an output block interface connected to the multiplexing unit output, for sequentially transmitting storage requests derived from the first block storage request and the second block storage request.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the output block interface is connected to a storage device comprising a redundant array of independent disks.

14. A dual-mode storage control apparatus integrated on a chip, comprising: file-level translation logic integrated on the chip, for translating a file-level storage command into a first block storage command, wherein the first block storage command is a logical block storage command comprising an identification of a logical unit number and a logical block number within the logical unit number; multiplexing logic integrated on the chip, having a first input connected to the file-level translation logic for receiving a first block storage request derived from the first block storage command, a second input for receiving a second block storage command, and an output for sequentially transmitting the first block storage request and the second block storage command; and block translation logic integrated on the chip and connected to the file-level translation logic, for translating into a physical block storage command comprising a raw block number.

15. A dual-mode storage control apparatus integrated on a chip, comprising: file-level translation logic integrated on the chip, for translating a file-level storage command into a first block storage command; and multiplexing logic integrated on the chip, having a first input connected to the file-level translation logic for receiving a first block storage request derived from the first block storage command, a second input for receiving a second block storage command, and an output for sequentially transmitting the first block storage request and the second block storage command; wherein the first block storage command is a physical block storage command comprising a raw block number.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 , further comprising a management interface connected to the file-level translation logic, for supplying translation configuration data to the file-level translation logic.

17. A dual-mode storage system comprising: a storage device; a first network storage client; a second network storage client; a network storage controller connected to the storage device over a block-level storage connection, connected to the first client over a file-level network storage connection, and connected to the second client over a block-level network storage connection, wherein the network storage controller comprises file-level translation logic integrated on a chip, for translating a file-level storage command received from the first client into a first block storage command, and multiplexing logic integrated on the chip, for selectively transmitting one of a first block storage request derived from the first block storage command and a second block storage request derived from a second block storage command at a time to the storage device, the second block storage command originating from the second client.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the file-level network storage connection comprises an Ethernet connection.

19. The system of claim 17 , wherein the file-level network storage connection comprises a SONET connection.

20. The system of claim 17 , wherein the block-level storage connection comprises a Fibre Channel connection.

21. The system of claim 17 , wherein the block-level storage connection comprises an ESCON connection.

22. The system of claim 17 , wherein the storage device comprises a redundant array of independent disks.

23. A dual-mode network storage control apparatus integrated on a chip, comprising: input network attached storage (NAS) interface means for receiving a file-level storage command from a first network client; translation means connected to the input NAS interface means, for translating the file-level storage command into a corresponding first block storage command; input storage area network (SAN) interface means for receiving a second block storage command from a second network client; multiplexing means having a first input connected to the translation means, for receiving a first block storage request derived horn the first block storage command, a second input connected to the input SAN interface means, for receiving a second block storage request derived from the second block storage command, and a multiplexing output for selectively transmitting the first block storage request and the second block storage request.

24. The apparatus of claim 23 , further comprising output block interface means lo the multiplexing output, for sequentially transmitting storage requests derived from the first block storage request and the second block storage request.

25. A dual-mode network storage method comprising: receiving a file-level storage command from a first network client to file-level translation logic integrated on a chip; employing the file-level translation logic to translate the file-level storage command into a corresponding first block storage command, wherein the first block storage command is a logical block storage command comprising an identification of a logical unit number and a logical block number within the logical unit number; receiving a second block storage command from a second network client; employing multiplexing logic integrated on the chip to multiplex a first block storage request derived from the first block storage command and a second block storage request derived from the second block storage command; and translating the logical block storage command into a physical block storage command comprising a raw block number.

26. A dual-mode network storage method comprising: receiving a file-level storage command from a first network client to file-level translation logic integrated on a chip; employing the file-level translation logic to translate the file-level storage command into a corresponding first block storage command; receiving a second block storage command from a second network client; and employing multiplexing logic integrated on the chip to multiplex a first block storage request derived from the first block storage command and a second block storage request derived from the second block storage command; wherein the first block storage command is a physical block storage command comprising a raw block number.

27. The method of claim 26 , further comprising a management interface connected to the file-level translation logic, for supplying translation configuration data to the file-level translation logic.

28. A dual-mode, storage area network (SAN) and network attached storage (NAS) storage controller integrated circuit comprising: a SAN interface connected to a storage area network; a NAS interface connected to a file-level data network; a storage-side interface connected to a storage device; and logic connected to the storage-side interface for transmitting to the storage-side interface a first set of block-level storage commands derived from block-level client commands received over the storage area network, and a second set or block-level storage commands derived from file-level client commands received over the file-level data network.